British former Conservative party leader and ex-foreign secretary William Hague was elected the University of Oxford’s 160th chancellor. After graduating from Oxford in 1982, Hague, a member of the House of Lords, secured this prestigious, largely ceremonial role after four rounds of voting.
Hague’s election disappointed those hoping the university would elect its first female chancellor in its 800-year history. His final opponent, Elish Angiolini, received 11,006 votes to Hague’s 12,609. Angiolini, the outgoing principal of St Hugh’s College, Oxford, is a distinguished lawyer and former lord advocate of Scotland. She recently led a high-profile inquiry into the tragic case of Sarah Everard in 2021.
The final round was a contest between Hague and Angiolini, who emerged from 36 shortlisted candidates. Upon winning, Hague expressed his gratitude and dedication to Oxford. “Thank you to my fellow Oxonians for placing such confidence in me. What happens at Oxford in the next decade is critical to the success of the UK.”
The chancellor was historically a lifetime position, but university rule amendments changed it this year to a 10-year term. The next election is scheduled for 2034.
In other news, former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan applied for the chancellorship in August. However, Oxford later clarified in October that Khan was not among the 38 candidates under consideration, based on its criteria for determining a “fit and proper person” as defined by the UK tax authority. This exclusion was described as “extremely unfortunate” by Imran’s adviser on international media, Syed Zulfi Bukhari.
